Here Comes the Fiesta Season
Nikka Sarthou / January 15, 2012 / 0 comment | = Click on the star if it's the place you want to see or recommend
coconut trees, a woman and a reflecting dining table..(explored, frontpage)
View full-size photo here.
During this time of the year, people flock to Kalibo in Aklan to witness the annual Ati-Atihan Festival, which is in honor of the Santo Niño. Even people from abroad fly to the Philippines just to experience this event. In fact, I have three relatives from the U.S. who arrived in Manila recently and are now en route to this Visayan province. I envy them because I haven’t had a chance to go there and witness all the revelry.
I heard though that the town comes alive during the third week of January, especially the last three days of it. People go out on the streets and join the festivities by painting their faces and wearing colorful costumes. Most of the festival-goers use dark paints since “Ati-Atihan,” after all, translates to “make believe Atis.” The Atis or Aetas are the original settlers of the island and they are characterized by their dark skin.
The body paints and vibrant costumes are not the only ones that make the festival fun, as there are parades, tribal dances, and rhythmic music, too. From dawn until night, locals and tourists can all join in on the fun. Everyone is invited to this street party!
If you’re fortunate to know some people who lives there, you can even be invited to share their fiesta fare for lunch or dinner. What is a fiesta anyway without food?
But the true highlight of this festival is the religious procession that happens on the last Sunday. It is where the people show how they honor the Santo Niño, their patron saint.
There is really no better way to experience Filipino culture than by going to the mother of all Philippine festivals, the Ati-Atihan. Hala Bira!
-
0 comment
Binondo Bites
"The Binondo Experience on a Plate"
Written by: Twinkle Legaspi
1. Dong Bei
2. Quan Yin Chay
3. President's
4. Shanghai Fried Siopao
5. Sincerity
CREATIVELY COOL MANILA “STAYCATIONS”
With several more long weekends coming up in 2012, you might be asking yourself, “What else is there to do if I want to have a different kind of weekend but don’t want to travel and deal with airport lines, traffic jams, a ...
Featured Contributor
Nikka Sarthou
"Nikka is a lifestyle journalist who has been doing freelance writing for years now. She especially enjoys writing about food and travel, and she plans to go around the Philippines--one island at a time. When she is not busy managing the content of OfficiallyPhilippines.com, she organizes writing workshops with her co-founders from Writer's Block Philippines. She never takes off her writer's hat, as she believes that anything can be turned into a story."
Email Us
